Top 100 red wines of Chile - Page 8

Discovering the wine region of Chile

Chile is one of the most important wine producing countries in South America. Occupying a thin strip on the west coast of the continent, it is home to a wide range of Terroirs and wine styles. The Chilean wine industry is often associated in export markets with good quality, consistent wines, but some world-class reds are also produced and sell at high prices. For red wines, the first export stalwarts were the France/bordeaux">Bordeaux varieties of Cabernet Grape/sauvignon">Sauvignon and Merlot, Like many New World countries, Chile has adopted an iconic grape variety; here it is Carmenère, once widely grown in Bordeaux.

It was thought to have disappeared as a result of the Phylloxera epidemics in Europe in the 19th century, but it was rediscovered in Chile in the 1990s. Much of this variety was mixed with Merlot plants in the Vineyards; it was often thought that the Carmenère vines were less successful mutations of the former. Once they were identified and the fruit was left an extra week or two on the vine to Fully ripen, Carmenère and single-varietal blends began to spread (NB: this variety is usually spelled Carménère - with two accents - outside Chile). Pinot Noir from cooler regions of Chile is beginning to make an impression, and Syrah is gaining popularity in many regions offering a wide variety of styles.

The distribution of red varieties in Chile also includes Bordeaux players, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. The importance of the latter has increased in light of Argentina's success with this variety, although plantings in Chile date back to the 19th century. Cinsaut and Carignan join Syrah in the French contingent in the South. White wine plantings are dominated by Chardonnay - also grown in many different macroclimates - which can reach very high levels of quality with prices to match, and Sauvignon Blanc.